STAGE GOSSIP

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 1 September 1909, Page 69

STAGE GOSSIP

During Drury Lane pantomime season tha pay-list is £800 per night. The Corrick family of musicians is touring the "smalls" of ' Westralia. Nine members of the Bland Holt Company have been w'Jh Bland for 140 years between them. / No feweT than five waltzes have been composed in Australia— dedicated tc Miss Lily Brayton! -z The Fuller management intend 1 runningi : picture shows in the principal towns in ; Australia. . ,"*» ~ i The pantomime to be staged at the King's Theatre, Melbourne, this Christmas will be "Babes in the Wood." { The Hicks Theatre in London has been | renamed the Globe, and is now under the management of Daniel Frohmann. ."' | Stewart and Lorraine, clever musical . artists, have sailed for South. Africa.- They , are under engagement to Mr Hyman., of the Empire, Johannes-burg. t j Mr Ernest Toy, who has -just completed a concert tour of the eastern States and New , Zealand, has returned to Melbourne, where ho will reside permanently. I Mr Albsrt Norman, for many years iden- f tified with the Bland Holt Company, 13 to b3 tendered a benefit at the King's Theatre, i Melbourne, on September 6 ' Rumours hint at tho permanent retirement of Mr Bland Holt from the boards at the ?onclusion of his Sydney season next month, and his departure for England. | It is aikl&rst-jod inquiries are being made | by several American vaudeville artists as to what prospects there are in Australia. There are good openings for good acts. Signor Caruso will make an English con- j cert tour, beginning with Dublin on August , 20 ; which will extend over four weeks, and for which he is to receive a fee of JE3OOO. | The con*panj of Melbourne amateurs which lately played " The Case of Rebel- j lious Susan" for the Children's Hospital ! were able to send a cheque for over £200 . to the institution. j Irene Dillon, who was ft popular -member J of the J. C. Wi'liamson Pantomime Company, is doing well in America, where she ' ha» made . a hit in a piece called " The Chinese Mandarin." " ! ■ The Brunton Memorial Benefit recently '. put on in Sydney realised £260. About a , hundred of the lato artist's b#st pictures ' were on exhibition foi a weok, and no doubt '< would gather fuither 'funds. Although it has been freely Tepofted tba-t the Meynell anil Gunn management intend I confining their ■ future operations- entirely, tof Australia, the latest list of bookings for His Majesty's Theatre cor< tains a couple of seasons during ths next year. • • ,' "The School for Scandal" was lately amusingly parodied at the London Empiife. I While Lady Teazle was hiding behind the. screen. Sir Peter sang " Has anyone seen my girl?" Other nc-mbsrs were in keeping with the well-known situations. Two or "three years a,go people would have smiled unbelievingly if it were suggested that a Shakespearean play would run for five weeks, yet that is what the Oscar AsoheLily Brayton company has achieved in Mcl- " bourne with " The Taming of the Shrew. | Doubt exists as t j whether a man or woman wrote "The Fencing Master." It ' was a man, a New York journalist, who knew Hugh J. Ward, his work, and hia [ all-round talents. The play was specially written for Mr Ward, the part built round him. ! Miss Maud Williamson and Alfred Weeds recently arrived in Sydnsy from the Cape, j j where they played a long and successful , season. Since leaving Australia, in 1902 , Miss Williamson and Mr Woods have played long tours in America, England and South I Africa. | Madame Betty Brooke, a Christchurch t vocalist, has been singing in New York | lately, and after fulfilling some engagements ' in America, will go on. to England. The> New York Telegraph describes her as "a l very handsome woman with a beautiful : voice and charming personality." 1 Sam. Rowley, at the New York Majestic. ( recently. " pulled oft some clever stuff all the way from stories on himeeff to burleeqee ' grand opera- and ' straight.' He was ac- J corded big applause." Samuel R- is not J unknown in the Dominion, and was oncebilled as "the little man with the big voice." i One of the features of "The King of Cndonia" i 3 the Apache Dance, in which Mr Bert Gilbert and Miss Lottie Sargent scored <t big success in Melbourne. It ia of French origin, f.nd a Melbourne paper conceived it to be a sort of Parisian parallel •to "Teddy" Lonnen's "Bellarine, what's down tho bay." I Mr Nat Clifford, who hag been- engaged by Mr W. Anderaon for his pantomime io be produced in Melbourne at Christmas, was | out in Australia some three years ago under Mr H. Rickarda's management. Mr An- , derson has purchased the complete para- , phernalia of one- of ths mDs-t successfel Lon- . don pantomimes. | The committee of tht Children's Hospital ( in Melbourne recently passed the following resolution — " The committee of the Child- J ren's Hospital de.«ire3 to -express to Miss Nellie Stewart its appreciation of her gens- j rosity in permanently endowing £500 to the ' Sweet Nell' cot, and thanks her for the final payment cf £100." | The phenomenal booking which took place in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch when the plans were opened for the Nellie Stewart reason constitutes a record for each to-,vn- In Auckland the first day's booking totalled 2300, and i - 'the other two cities over 2000 seats wer? reserved immediately the plans were placed on view. Occar Asch© and Lily Brayton love the outdoor life. Latsi year they spent their holiday in a very novel manner. The? hired a caravan, and, together with a small party of intimate friends, travelled about from place to place for six to eight weeks, camping out in tha open, and they vote, this "to be quite the most enjoyable way of spending a holiday. Mr Gerard Coventry -has returned- from his world's tour, and saw all kinds of theatric*! enttrt»iflDiu;ts. In the drama tic and

lyrical field he is convinced Australia cannot be shown much. Id pantomimes productions elsewhere may beat Australia in th« ma,tter of a specialty here and there, but as "tout ensembles" tb«y are not to b« compared with "Ja-ck and Jill." For some time pas' Misp Nellie Stewart has been filled with a longing tc appear .■* one of Shakespeare's heroines. Her ambition in this direot-ion was realised in Sydney recently when she appeared very successfully as Rosalind in "As You Like It.'* Great preparation; were made by J C- Williamson foi the production, which wat in. every manner a brilliant triumph. Charles A. Wenman, of the "Cinderella" company, sailed for England last monttt, and returns in December, his object being to help to complete arrangements for Fhe new musical company engaged for Clarke, Meynell, and Gunn. The musical plays now held by this firm are "Tom Jones," "Belle of Brittany." "The Arcadians," A The Gay Gordons*' «nd "Sergeant Brue." In referring *6 the Melbourne production of "The Flag Lieutenant" an exchange saysri "Mi George Titheradge was most warmly) welcomed, after, his illness, of which, fortunately, no trace remains. He makes the rear admiral of the fleet c distinctive portrait in his gallery of celebrated' stage characters. . Ease., finish, polish, all. that- means good acting, are encompassed in the study." ' A number of Wagnei lovera have, it ia said, set on foo;t a scheme . to acquire the villa at Triebsclien, nsar Lucerne, where the master lived from 1866 to convert it into a museum of feKos. The house appears to Irave remained, exactly as it was i during the composer's residence, and the idea is to prevent its falling into the hands of. anyone who might turn it to- speculative' I account. ; After Mr Tom Poljard had staged "Manob." 1 with much inconvenience "from a very imI perfect script and had*,. played it several' times, he discovered in Christohui-ch.ia. copy of the original fs-tage tnanager^scEipt that -was used '.by- him when ie" pjjt .th«T piece, om many -years .ago/ ReliearsW "were", at Jdnco commenced," and the cdmpany is now producing the opera along the lines of the early, productions. Kews from Rome reports the death there of Attilio Buzzi, an- Italian basso cantante, highly esteemed during his six year 3' residence in Australia. Signor Btfzzi firstt cams out in ISB7 with Simonsen's Italian Opera Company, conducted by Signor Hazon, and he was prominent in a Second combination two years later, which included Madame Lilian Tree, Mad»me Louise Labkche, andl Dimitresco, the Roumanian ..tenor. • Prominent among the performers at ths Brnnton Memorial, Benefit were Mr .Georga | Rignold," who was, given a tremendously enl thusiastic reception, and delivered th<» , speeches of Brutus and Mark Antony in th», foruru scene in "Julius Cresar" with much oi . I his old time power;' and Mr Walter Bentley} i who. assisted by Miss Nellie Ferguspn a* j the Lady Ann, gave in excellent style tha i wooing scene in " Richard the Third." « . Miss Cecilia Loftus was last month raar- [ ried secretly in London to Dr Waterman. | a physician of Chicago, who proposes to take up practice m London after her next American tour. There ,was an element of romantr« and mystery about Miss- Loftus's first mxr-' | riage, for she eloped with Mr Justin HuntlyJ McCarthy while she was- appear ing the, Lvndon Palace Theatre in 1884. This mat1 riage was dissolved in America..' '< Signor Caruso is to. have • rival ,far it i* stated that Russia, has been fortunate, in bringing out -a new tenor by the' name- ol Kolomyscheff, wbosa profeasion was that ol m-chamcal .'engineeTing- -^ He is eaitf tbp^ sess a magnificent voice, comparable in volume and compass to that of the late Sijr-> ' nor Taniagno,' who. it will be remsmberad, created the part, of Otello in Verdi's operc< at La Seal*, -Milan. February 5. 1837. With the J. C. Williamson's Royal Comio Opera Company is Mr R. A. Cane, one of tho most expert violinists and orchestra • leaders the th&atres of the Commonwealth and New Zealand have fean. The firm recently sent him a telegram to Adelaide congratulating him upon his 20th year with J. C. Williamson's companies, and what is moat ' remarkable, upon the fact that during that I long term he never missed v single performance. * Houdini, the "Handcuff King." who has bsen engaged by Harry Rickards, is to arrive in Australia shortly. No looks- or keys or goods of that description can defy. him. As a prison-breaker he ataads pre- [ eminent. Hoadini hi»s, trusted and fettered up, jumped from some of the highest bridges | in the world, and whilst in the >water freed! , himself and swam to the waiting boats. i Police and experts ail over the world have be?n baffled and beaten by Houdini. M.i- Lanshorne Burton, one of the nev I members of the Nellie Stewart Company, left , the lead in the English production of "Tha , Lieutenant" to come to Australia. He- is 1 regarded as one of the most promising actor* of the> day. and amengst his- many successes perhaps the most important are "Monsieur* Beaucaire" and "Brigadier Gerard," In. bath these pl*y» he took the name part. Mr Burton take 3 the role of " Lord Vem«y" in' " Sweet Kitty Bsllairs-" and Orlando -in "A* I You Like It." -QAction is beints taken at Ballarstt to send' -, Mas'or Cecil Fraser. a promisinc young «. pianist, to London, to study UD<3er Mr Peres' Grainger, who heard him play in Melbourne* Masier Fraeer's work so impressed I£% Grainger that the latter offered to accept him a<* a nupi' free of cost. In a) lettei? received by Miss Howarth • (under whont Master Fraser is now studying), Mr Grainier wrote: — "1 have never heard an Australian of his years play &d well and show so much promise, nor one on whom the great* advantages of some years in Europe could more deservedly be bestowed." At % Shakesoea-rean Society reception ta Oscar Ascha and Lily Brayton in Melbourne, the Premier of Victoria (Mr Murray) re' marked that he was not much of a play* goer, for the sains reason that kept manjft people away from the theatre — and that wa< the class of plays and attractions that wer* presented. "If the standard >1 production^ was raised as high as that attained by th^ Ofoar Asche-Lily Brayton C 0.." he addedy "a. class of people would become playgoerr who are not otherwise attracted to tha, theatre, and the number of theatregoer* would be considerably increased." " During Madame Amy Sherwin's visit U Australia sh» was accompanied by one ot her pupils, Mi Fiaser Gar.ge. a young singesof great promise. A few da-ys I'ftfore th^ last wail left London Madame Sherwin an4| Mr Gange had the honour of singing be» for: the Princess Louise and tbe Duke ol Argyll. The Princess had a long convert nation with Madame Sherwin *bout, he«! pupils, and she also spoke in conipliiaentaxjf terms of Mr Ganges linguistic «ccompli*h-< ments, foi he had sung ten nieces in fou< languages— English, French, "Italian, ani German. For many years it has been rumoured tha b Charles Wyndha-m and his company would visit Australia, and at last the definite announcement is made th»t the eminent actor next year will do so. Sir Cha.rles will brinpr hia London company, a fine repertoire of

>feys, and will visit India, Australia and America. The announcement was first pufb4i.01y made by the *ctor himself from the abase of a theatre in New York. Apart from » professional visit, Sir Charles Wyndham has always had a wish to travel south of the line. Investments — of wfiich he has many in the West of America — may have something to do witb it. The following is the cast for the "King of Cadonia": — Alexis (King of Cadonia), Mr •Herbert Clayton; Captain Laski, Mr Frank Greene (first appearance); General Bonski, •Mr Arthur Appleby; Lieutenant Jules, Mr Boland Hogue; Lieutenant Saloff, Mr Edwin .Wynn; Panis, Mr E. Nable; Laborde, Mr Pat Bathurst; Bran, Mir Victor Prince; Duke of Alasia, Mr Bert Gilbert; Duchess of Alasia, Miss Susie Vaughan; Stephanie, Mass Ivy Scott; Natine, Miss Bertha- Gordon; Wanda, Miss Phyllis Warner; Otta•lino, Miss Helen Mcseley; Fridoline, Miss Nellie Palmer; Princess Marie, Miss Dolothy Court; and Malitza, Miss Lottie Sargent (first appearance). Calve 'stories and reminiscences fill the air as a result of the announcement of her engagement for Australia. Calve is a woman of extraordinary temperament, «. spiritualist to a certain extent, and: has dabbled in Theosopby. Though of humble origin, the great singeT is widely cultured, and has many widely-differing talents. Madame Calve is also noted for hex charity, and many stories pleasant io listen to are told of her kindness. One of the bestknown ie that of her going to sing to a dying man, and' another records how two email, poor children penetrated to her rooms i in New York, And a6kec* her to sing "to them, which she did, afterwards giving them a meal and presents. Mr Edwin Brett, - appearing 'as the Baronsss in "Cinderella," tells of •a" funny ] experience he had one night while playing ] in "Miss Hook of Holland." Mr Hook wears | a false nose, which is carefully built up of > wax, just as it is when Mr Brett is representing the Baroness in "Cinderella." One very hot night Mr Brett felt that his false proboscis was really becoming false io him — in fact, it was parting company with him. A shriek of laughter went up from the audience when Mr Hook's nose suddenly slipped oft, and was neatly caught by the actor in his hand. " That was the first occasion on which J. had to confess," says Mr Brett, i "that I had really hid my nose put out of j

joint." Among the experiences of Miss Lottie Sargent, of " The King of Cadonia " Company, was » theatrical tour of Aineiica with " The Duchess of Dantzic," Miss Evie Greene (her sister-in-law, by the way) starring in the title role. " What struck me most— that is, in a purely personal way," she observes, "was the different receptioas we had socially in cities. In New York, foi instance, we ■were made a great fuss of. Society not only 4 took us up,' as I believe the expression is, but crowded to the theatre. In Washington, however, we were cold-shouldered. That is the official city, of course, md it has traditions. Canadians had time to devote to us, and we found them very warm-hearted. ' Miss Sargent "believes it would be better for the stage if the smart set * were more resisted by artists. Miss Dorothy Court, tbe -arima donna of "The King of Cadonia" Company, studied ranging at th« Royal College of Music, London. Never .then intending to go on the stage, she bore the concert platform in mind during her tuition: " But there really isn't a decent living to be made in London af concert work," she affirms, "except by the very few — scarcely a dozen. I should say. One can teach, of conrse, but tbat is the veriest drudgery. -I soon convinced myself of that, for I tried it.. Teaching would bt bearable if thp pupils were in earnest, but it wasn't my lot to find one so. They learn for a variety of reasons: perhaps a child has a weak throat and the doctor advises rocal exercise." Very little persuasion, Miss Court says, was needed to rescue her from this work when a stage career opened for her.